Flue-stopper



(No Model.)

J. D. HOPKINS.

PLUB STOPPER.

Patented Dec. 6, 1892.

T NoRms Pam's co; wm'uuinou WASX-HN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES D. HOPKINS, OF MIDW'AY, KENTUCKY.

FLUE-STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,327, dated December 6, 1892.

Application filed September 6, 1892. Serial No. 445,173. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES D. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Midway, in the county of Woodford and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Flue-Stopper, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in flue-stoppers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of flue-stoppers and to enable them to be readily and securely applied to any ordinary stove-hole to cover the same and prevent soot and the like falling into a room after a stove-pipe has been removed.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flue-stopper constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional View.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures of the drawings.

I designates a shield forming a cap or cover fora stovepipe-opening and .provided with a central opening 2, through which passes a threaded stem 3, which is engaged at its outer end by a nut I, and which is provided at its inner end with a rectangular plate 5, adapted to spread resilient arms 6 to cause the same to engage the walls of a Stovepipe-opening and thereby secure the shield in place. The arms are arranged in pairs, and each pair is preferably constructed of a single piece of metal, which is provided at its center with an opening to receive the threaded stem 3, and the arms are disposed at right angles, andthe V- shaped pieces of metal which form the arms cross each other at the central opening 2 of the shield and have their openings registering with each other and are secured to the inner face of the shield by the threaded stem. The rectangular spreading-plate 5 engages the inner faces of the diverging arms, and when drawn by the stem and the nut in the direction of the shield it forces the arms outward, spreading them and causing them to engage the Walls of a stovepipe opening.

This spreading of the arms causes the shield to be drawn inward and to be pressed closely against the wall surrounding the stovepipeopening and effecting a tight joint to prevent any soot sifting between the shield and the wall. In order to enable the arms to obtain a secure hold to cause the shield to be drawn inward, the engaging ends 7 of the arms are curved outward and provided with V-shaped recesses, forming claws adapted to engage the walls or sides of a stovepipe-opening. The nut is arranged on the exterior of the shield and may be readily turned to draw the spreader-plate toward the shield to fasten the flue-stopper as tightly as desired.

It will be seen that the stove-hole stopper is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it may be readily applied to and removed from any ordinary stovepipeopening, and that the shield is securely fas- Lened in place.

What I claim is 1. A flue-stopper comprising a shield, the resilient diverging arms rigidly secured at their inner ends to the shield, a threaded stem passing through the shield, a spreader- .plate arranged at the inner end of the stem and engaging the inner faces of the arms, and a nut arranged on the threaded stem and located at the outer face of the shield and adapted to draw the spreader-plate toward the same to force the arms outward, substantially as described.

2. A fine-stopper comprising a shield, the resilient diverging arms rigidly secured at their inner ends to the shield and having their outer ends curved outward and formed into claws, said arms being arranged in pairs and each pair being formed integral and provided with an opening, a threaded stem passing through the shield and the openings of the arms, a polygonal spreader-plate arranged at the inner end of the stem and adapted to force the arm outward, and a nut arranged on the stem and located on the outer face of the shield, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES D. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

RICHARD GoDsoN, M. D. Orru'rr. 

